Dan Stevens looked like 'crash test hippo'

Dan Stevens looked like a "crash test hippo" on the set of 'Beauty and the Beast'.

The 34-year-old actor wore a "giant lycra muscle suit" for his part as the Beast in the live action movie and feels his on-set outfit helped him relate to his character.

He told ELLE.com: "It helped that I looked extremely odd on that set. They were incredibly gorgeous, lavish, luxurious sets. The detail was incredible, the costumes were amazing, and every real character that was in the movie looked incredible.

"Then I would sort of lumber in in this giant lycra muscle suit on stilts, ten inches off the ground, looking like a sort of crash test hippo and just hulking around the set. I just felt, first of all, very hot, but very, you know ... just very odd, very out of place. So that helped, I think."

Meanwhile, Dan's co-star Emma Watson - who plays Belle - feared Dan would break her foot when they danced together for the film's iconic waltz.

She shared: "Dan was essentially wearing steel-capped stilts. I was slightly terrified my foot was going to get broken or we were going to end up in a heap on the floor. So it had an extra edge to it."

However, Emma admitted the long rehearsals were the ideal way to bond with her co-star.

She added: "It was actually a really good pre-film bonding. We got to know each other and learned to trust each other. I would recommend all couples go and dance together, stamp on each other's toes, be completely off-beat. It's perfect ...

"A waltz is the perfect way to do that because you are dizzy and breathless. You are having to put trust in the other person. You are learning how to keep time and rhythm with another person, not just yourself. It's the perfect metaphor [for Beauty and the Beast's relationship]."

129 min | Fantasy, Action / Adventure

The story and characters audiences know and love come to spectacular life in Disney’s live-action adaptation “Beauty and the Beast,” a stunning, cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved tales ever told. ...